Valentine
by zoebrenn
Summary: On Valentines Day, there is a mystery for Callen to solve.
1. Chapter 1

**I've read a lot of fan fiction but this is my first venture into writing it. I have recently become a little obsessed with NCIS:LA and Callen in particular – Chris O'Donnell is to handsome for words, and those eyes (swoon). I was thrilled to see there are other Callen/Nell shippers out there so decided to take a shot at this pairing myself. Comments/feedback welcomed.**

**All the usual disclaimers apply**

It was Valentine's Day. A day for love and romance…and commercialism. Special Agent G Callen arrived for work, a large black bag slung over his shoulder. For him this day was no different to any other. He wasn't that into holidays, perhaps a hangover from his unhappy childhood and the lack of family…or girlfriend. He was therefore less than thrilled to see that pink and red paper hearts had been cut out and strung up all along the trellis surrounding his teams' work area and bunches of red balloons were tied to the backs of each of the chairs. He figured Nell had a hand in it since she had been the one to decorate the place like Santa's grotto at Christmas and had spent hours blowing up balloons for Hetty's birthday.

With a roll of his eyes at the corny decor, Callen crossed to his desk, slung his bag off his shoulder onto the floor and dropped into his seat, pushing the sleeves of his dark grey shirt up his forearms a little. Sam arrived close behind him, a sly smile on his face and a bounce in his step.

"Hey G." he greeted his friend and partner.

"Sam." Callen nodded. "Date tonight?" he knew the look. Sam had met someone.

"Of course." Sam rubbed his hands together. "Beautiful woman I met at a bar last night."

"Of course." Callen echoed.

"You have come with me G. She had a gorgeous, tall, blonde friend." He grinned and gave a wiggle of his eyebrows in suggestion of what Callen had missed out on.

"I had plans." Callen replied.

"Sure you did." Sam chuckled. As well as he knew his partner, Sam was in the dark as to what G Callen did when he wasn't at the office and he wasn't one to pry…much.

It was only a few minutes before Kensi and Deeks arrived, walking into the office bickering like school kids. Just like Callen, neither seemed particularly interested in the romance of the day. They didn't even mention the decorations. To Callen, the normally fresh and raring to go junior agent looked like she had been awake all night.

"Late one?" he asked.

"My car wouldn't start this morning. Deeks had to give me a ride." Kensi glared at her partner as she stripped off her black leather jacket. Callen knew immediately the reason Kensi looked exhausted was a forty minute ride with a man who didn't know how to have a quiet moment. It was his trademark - Deeks could talk!

"Come on Deeks, now she's going to be grumpy all day and we have to work with her." Callen moaned in jest. While Kensi scowled, Deeks merely chuckled, ran his fingers through his surfer boy hair and dropped down into his seat.

"Come on kids, play nice." Sam told them.

Just as they were settling in, Eric whistled from the stairs and with that their day began.

It was the usual, if their work could ever be described as 'usual'. Eric and Nell gave them a briefing on a terrorist suspected to have arrived in LA the day before, their well-rehearsed tag team effort getting the information across quickly and concisely. Callen formulated a plan and the team headed off to investigate. Nell and Eric remained in the ops room, feeding the team information, maps, plans and relaying messages, all the while checking in with Hetty.

Every case was tough - that's why it fell onto their desks. But as cases went, the team would class this as an easy win. Within hours they had located a safe house where the terrorist and the cell he had joined up with were likely to be hiding out, waiting for the signal to go ahead with their plan. Sam and Callen took the front, Kensi and Deeks the back. The moment the team burst through the doors they encountered the cell members, completely unsuspecting of having been rumbled. Shots were exchanged and two went down. Deeks and Kensi chased another attempting to flee and Deeks tackled him in the back yard. Callen encountered a fourth and after a brief hand to hand fight, the Agent easily emerged the victor. A few hours after that the case was all wrapped up. Two terrorists were in custody and two more were on slabs in the morgue. A plot to bomb a navy ship had been foiled and the team were feeling victorious. All in a day's work.

When they arrived back it was nearing eight at night. Sam was anxious to get away for his date and barely stuck around long enough to collect his things. Kensi needed Deeks to drive her home and was pestering him to go so she could catch up on her shows. Only Callen was in no hurry to leave. He had nowhere to be and no Valentine to romance. He was only marginally bothered by that – he knew his life as an NCIS Agent and working undercover complicated things with any potential relationship. He could never be himself and to him it was much simpler to just be alone.

As he settled in his chair, taking a moment to push the balloons out his way, he noticed a small brown paper bag sitting in the middle of his desk with a little red card the size of a business card stapled to it. He looked around suspiciously, then leaned forward and poked at the bag. It rustled slightly. Sitting up straighter, he took another look around for anyone watching his reaction but he saw no-one, at least no-one paying the blindest bit of attention to him. With his curiosity peaked, Callen picked the bag up and pulled it closer to him. Carefully he pulled the red card off and turned it over. Typed on the back in black ink were the words _Happy Valentine's Day. _

_No handwriting to analyse_. _Someone wants to play games. _He thought.

Placing the card down he began to open the bag. As he peered inside, a smile tugged at his lips and his tired eyes brightened a little. Emptying the contents of the bag onto the desk, he examined his gift; a selection of lollypops – something that had become a staple of stake-outs, partly because of how much the sucking and crunching of candy annoyed his partner. The smile on his face widened as he sorted through the variety of flavours. Finally, he picked out a red one, peeled off the plastic wrapping and after twirling it in his fingers for a moment, he popped it into his mouth and leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped behind his head.

"Mr Callen." Hetty appeared from nowhere as only she could.

"Was this you?" Callen asked, as he sat up and pulled the lollypop from his mouth.

"Please, those things will rot your teeth." She replied. "Why aren't you going home?"

"I'm just leaving" he smiled as he scooped up his candy and put the lollypops back into the bag before locking it safely in the drawer under his desk.

"Good work today Mr Callen. Oh, don't forget the card." Hetty pointed to the red card on the desk. Callen looked down and ran his fingers over it, his mind running through who could have left the gift for him. It couldn't have been a joke gift from Sam, Deeks or Kensi as they were with him all day. It had to be someone in the office who had access to his desk, and someone who knew he liked lollypops. That didn't really narrow the field, as there were a number of people (okay so he was only thinking about the women) who worked in the building and he could often be seen sucking on a lollypop at his desk on a slow day. He was also pretty sure he would have noticed a woman who was interested in him. He was at a loss. When Callen looked back up with the card held tight in his fingers, to no surprise Hetty was gone, but a new face was in his field of vision.

"Goodnight." Nell Jones called as she came down the last step and started towards the door. She was wrapped up in a fitted green wool coat carrying a large backpack. She never seemed to dress for LA weather yet somehow the look suited her.

"Wait up. I'll walk you out." Callen grabbed his bag and strode over to the young woman, lollypop tucked into his cheek. He didn't know Nell well but he liked her. She was young, a lot younger than him, but she was confident, smart and skilled at her job. That was all he needed from someone on his team.

"Whatcha got there?" Nell indicated to the red card in his hand as the Agent fell into step beside her.

"Someone." He paused to take the lollypop out his mouth. "Left me a Valentines gift." Callen said.

"How sweet." Nell smiled. "Anonymous?"

"Completely." Callen replied. "I'm thinking about getting it tested for fingerprints." He joked.

"Can't you just enjoy the mystery?" she asked as she glanced up at him. Callen met her gaze and paused a moment.

"Nope." He shook his head as he popped the lollypop back into his mouth. Special Agent Callen was a trained undercover agent, an investigator and an expert at reading people. _How hard could it be to find out?_

**I have an idea of where this will go but will let views and comments decide if I continue. So let me know what you think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed my first chapter. I was overwhelmed by the support for my first ever story. I have decided to continue this and it will probably be about three or four chapters, though the ending is far from decided - just taking it one chapter at a time for now and letting my muse guide me. Zoe. **

It was three in the morning and G Callen was wide awake. That in itself was not unusual. What was unusual was the subject of his thoughts. Far from worrying about a case or recent information that came to light about his past, Callen's thoughts were occupied by a woman. Unfortunately he had no idea who that woman was. From the moment he found a Valentines gift on his desk, his curiosity had been peaked and the more he thought about who had left it for him, the more intrigued he became.

G Callen was not a relationship man. It didn't suit his lifestyle and if he were honest, he considered himself damaged goods. His past had so much baggage he didn't even like to think about it. How could he possibly be in a healthy relationship with a woman when he was a ghost with a dark past that most would run from?

But someone wasn't running, at least not away from him. He thought about all the women he encountered in his job and while he would never consider a work relationship again – there were just too many bad endings – he wondered who had the strength to make such a gesture. There were a number of female agents and support staff he spoke to but none who had ever shown more than a passing interest in him. His reputation preceded him and apart from the odd flirtation by the coffee machine, no woman had pursued anything further. Whoever this was that left the gift had guts and that's what pushed him to find out.

The next morning he was at work early in order to do some research. He knew Eric and Nell wouldn't be in until around 9am and at 8.30am he had a half hour or so left to scan through security footage from the previous day for any clues as to the identity of his secret admirer. While the office itself didn't have cameras in it, there were cameras at the entrances and he was hopeful he would see someone carrying the bag into the office.

When Nell Jones arrived for work around 8.45am, much to her surprise she found the ops centre already occupied. As she always started before the agents, finding Special Agent G Callen already parked in front of one of the screens watching footage of what she recognised as the office entrances she was more than surprised.

"Good morning." she said, her inflection raising it more as a question than a greeting. Callen twisted in the chair and turned to face her.

"Morning Nell." He smiled.

"What are you watching?" she asked as she began to take off her coat. After her conversation with him the previous night, she knew very well what he was looking for. He had been serious when he said he couldn't just enjoy the mystery.

"Security footage to see if I can find who left that gift for me yesterday." Callen replied as he turned his attention back to the screen.

"You don't think you'll actually see someone carrying the bag in do you?" she asked, a smile crossing her face. She was quite surprised at the interest he was taking in his secret admirer. Though she wondered what he would do should he actually identify the 'culprit'.

"It's worth a try." He shrugged. "Besides, if this doesn't pan out I still have the candy, the bag and the card to look into. Everyone and everything leaves a trace Nell. I just need to know what to look for."

"Very wise Agent Callen." Nell nodded with a smile as she settled herself at her computer.

"A product of my advanced age." He joked.

A few minutes went by with total silence in the room. Callen scrutinised the fast moving footage as Nell typed away at her own terminal. It was a comfortable silence and Nell felt no need to break it, unlike she had when she first arrived and couldn't seem to keep her mouth shut.

"Damn." Callen leaned back in the chair.

"No luck?" Nell asked, without even looking over.

"No luck." Callen rose from the chair and moved to leave. "But I always have a back-up plan." He smiled.

Callen's back-up plan turned out to be old fashioned leg work. He wondered if his secret admirer knew how much effort he was putting in to finding out who they were. While a small part of him was frustrated at the lack of evidence, he was actually enjoying the thrill of the investigation. It was a far cry from the intensity and serious nature of his day to day work.

It had been three days since he received the gift and if Hetty knew how much time he had spent on the internet googling lollypops she probably would have fired him. But by Friday he had identified a list of stores in LA which carried the brand of candy he had been given. They were mostly little mom and pop stores and independent retailers who made their money from selling something a bit unique. He was packing up his bag to leave on Friday when Nell appeared in the bullpen.

"This yours?" she asked, waving a piece of paper with a list of stores on it.

"Ah, I wondered where that went." Callen strode over and took the paper from her.

"You printed to the machine upstairs." She told him. "What is it?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"It's the list of stores where the lollypops could have been purchased."

"Seriously?" Nell laughed out loud, both impressed at the effort he was going to and just a tad worried he might actually identify his secret admirer.

"You mock me Nell Jones, but I never give up on a case until I get the right answers." He looked down at the petite red head and found himself smiling.

"Oh, I never mock." Nell shook her head and planted a serious look on her face. "If you want to spend your Saturday trawling around candy stores, that's your business."

"And you have a better suggestion?"

"Just ask Hetty. She knows everything." Nell laughed.

By Saturday afternoon, Callen was beginning to think Nell hadn't been wrong when she suggested he ask Hetty. He had been to seven stores and no-one could remember selling a large number of lollypops anytime in the last few weeks. He had three stores left on the list and after glancing at his watch, he figured he might as well see it through since he had come that far already.

The next store he hit was a tiny boutique candy store down an alley that looked like it had been run by the same family for decades. When he entered, he was thrown back to his childhood. The store was filled with large glass jars each containing a different kind of candy. As he scanned the shelves, he finally spotted what he was looking for. The lollypops he had been given were in a jar on the top shelf.

"Can I help you?" a young woman appeared from the back came to face him on the other side of the counter.

"I hope so. I'm looking for someone. They would have been in here sometime in the last few weeks and bought about twenty of those lollypops." He pointed up at the jar. The young blonde followed his finger, she squinted, then turned back to Callen.

"A popular choice." She smiled. "There was someone here, maybe a week ago." Callen's heart jumped at the thought that he might actually find out who his secret admirer was. He stepped closer to the counter and placed his hands on it, leaning forward.

"What can you tell me about them?" Callen asked.

"Young woman, early twenties." She nodded. "About so high." She held her hand out to indicate the height of the customer as about five foot three or four. "She had short red hair." Callen gasped a breath in, almost unable to believe who the assistant was describing. There was only one person of that description that could possibly have pulled this off and she had been toying with him for days, pretending she knew nothing.

"Nell." He said as he exhaled.


	3. Chapter 3

**So now he knows. But what will happen when she finds out he knows. Thanks again for the reviews. I'm thrilled you are enjoying this - I've enjoyed writing it :) Zoe**

Callen drove home slowly, his mind a flurry of activity. _Nell Jones_. How had he not seen it? He was a highly skilled undercover agent, an expert at reading people. Yet somehow he had missed something.

He spent the night thinking through every interaction he had with Nell, trying to remember if she had said or done something to give it away and he just hadn't picked it up. He was so involved in work and his own life dramas that it would have been easy for him to overlook something, especially when he had no reason to look for it. But he had absolutely nothing. She didn't display any of the usual flirtation techniques, at least not that he had ever picked up on, and she hadn't done or said anything that he could recall was suggestive of her having feelings for him. He couldn't remember her ever staring at him from across the room, or anything else people do when they have feelings for someone but that person doesn't know. It left him wondering if she really were behind giving him a Valentines gift, and if she were, if it meant what he thought it did or if it was just supposed to be something friendly. Every thought took him in another direction and he was soon wondering that if she had meant the gift as one from a friend, why didn't she just say something? It had been an eternity since a woman had him in this much of a spin and he wasn't used to it, nor sure he liked the feeling of not having control anymore.

That evening, as Callen sat in his barely furnished home with a beer in hand, his mind wandered to the young intelligence analyst. She had joined the team fresh from college, something that Callen had been surprised at but quickly accepted given her extraordinary skill. He often forgot how young she was because of her advanced knowledge. She was only twenty two whereas he was closer to forty. That was a big age gap. And the more he thought about her, the more confused he became. He couldn't deny she was pretty but she wasn't the type of girl he would normally be attracted to. _Am I attracted to her?_ He wondered.

Two days of thinking brought him to a place where he wondered why he had never really thought about her in that way before. Nell was not shy. She had arrived at NCIS with a bang and quickly settled in with the team. She was extremely intelligent and could joke with the best of them. She had even begun to form a close relationship with Hetty, a woman Callen respected more than anyone. If Hetty approved of her, Nell had to be something special. With her red hair, petite stature and quirky dress sense she was definitely not the type of woman he was normally attracted to. Yet her youthful exuberance was infectious. The more he thought about her the more he realised he did like her, he had just been too clueless to notice.

Nell Jones had a restless weekend. Knowing that Callen was actively seeking out his secret admirer had her in a bit of a spin.

She knew she liked him from the moment she first met him. When she had been recruited to the office of special projects she had no qualms about her ability to perform. She knew this was an elite team who worked on the most sensitive and high intensity cases and she was confident her skills would bring something to the work. But she was apprehensive about the team she would be working with.

Prior to starting, she had been briefed on their significant operations including the tragic loss of Agent Dominic Vail, other major events impacting the team and on the team members themselves. She knew Kensi Blye was a tough young woman from a marine family who had lost her father at an impressionable age and had lost a fiancé to the war. She knew Marty Deeks had suffered an abusive childhood culminating in the shooting of his father and his eventually joining LAPD. Sam had been a SEAL, spoke fluent Arabic and though rarely mentioned, he had a family. And she knew that Special Agent G Callen was man with a dark and dangerous past. He had worked for virtually every specialist government agency, finally seeming to find his place at NCIS. She knew there was a lot of secrecy about his history, most of which he was still trying to figure out. This led her to expect someone of a serious nature and hardened by life. And while he was that to an extent, she was pleasantly surprised to find he had a great sense of humour and was warm and friendly when they weren't hunting down the bad guy. She often observed him laughing and joking with his best friend and partner, Sam, and teasing Kensi and Deeks. And the way he was with Hetty warmed her heart. He cared for that woman more than anyone else and with his past, she was sure he thought of her like a mother figure.

Nell had not expected Callen to be as handsome as he was. Sure, she had seen his file photograph but that really didn't do him justice. It didn't show how expressive his eyes were. He could keep his face neutral but she learned if you looked closely enough, his eyes always gave him away. They quickly became her Achilles heel and the moment he looked at her for anything, she melted inside.

Nell was young, fresh out of college, and when she first started feeling those butterflies around him she put it down to a schoolgirl crush on an older man who was new and exciting and a little bit dangerous. But as the months went on and those feelings didn't go away, only grow, she struggled more and more to contain them. Her gaze drifted to him in briefings, she found creative ways to be around him more than she needed to, and she struggled to resist the urge to reach out to touch him when he was anywhere near her. She was like a moth to the flame.

But she never worried that he knew she thought of him as anything but a co-worker or that he actually reciprocated her feelings. Firstly, the age gap between them was significant and she was sure he would never consider that someone of her age would like someone so much older. He was a handsome, suave and worldly man whereas she was a computer nerd who hardly screamed 'sexy' when she walked in a room. She knew the type of woman he went for - tall, leggy...blonde. And she was discrete about her feelings - she had to be working amongst people trained to observe and read people. She knew office relationships were dangerous for more than one reason. And if things went south one party or the other usually ended up leaving. She had no doubts about who the sacrificial lamb would be. In this particular situation, Nell knew that becoming involved with a man who had multiple aliases and faced death on a regular basis wouldn't make for a normal relationship.

That was why Nell Jones was content to observe from a distance. She indulged in her fantasies in the safety of her apartment, dreaming of how things could be different whilst at the same time wanting nothing to change. She learned great control and knew with confidence that not a single person believed she thought of G Callen as anything more than the Senior Agent in Charge. Especially since the team all thought she was either crushing on or in a relationship with Eric Beale.

But something possessed her to reach out to him that Valentines Day. She had watched him in the days before, a tough case sapping his energy and pulling the life from his eyes. She wanted so desperately to see the light in his baby blues and before she really understood the consequences of what she was doing, there was present left for him at his desk. Utilising the skills she learned from the team, Nell had covered her track well, perfectly she thought. She had anticipated him looking into it but when she discovered the extent he was going to, to identify his secret admirer she did begin to worry a little. She didn't know what she would do if or when he found out it was her and suddenly what had seemed like a fantasy was becoming all too real.

Monday morning came far too quickly and when Callen arrived, he was a little on edge. His recent discovery had him in a spin for two days and knowing he was soon to encounter the subject of that chaos only enhanced his state of unrest. He was a decisive man, a man of action, but at that moment he had no idea what he was going to do. As he walked into the ops room he actually felt his stomach do a somersault when he laid eyes on her. She was wearing a beautiful deep green dress with little capped sleeves and a black belt at the waist which highlighted her petite figure. If he had any doubts before, Callen was sure now. With one gesture, this woman had him entranced.

Callen stood near the back of the room with his arms folded across his chest and observed her, noting that she wasn't acting any differently to normal. But then he hadn't noticed anything before.

"Good morning." Nell turned and greeted him and the others when she heard them enter the ops centre for their case briefing. She only let her mind think about how good he looked in a black shirt and blue jeans for a millisecond. Nell quickly turned her attention to the big screen to bring up the files and photographs and her back was to everyone in the room. Callen took a moment before acknowledging her greeting but when he did he got the first indication that his investigation was right.

"Nell." He spoke with a knowing tone and he watched as her shoulders tightened slightly, giving him the sign he was looking for. Her reaction told him she now knew that he knew.

Nell knew the tone of his voice. She had heard it a thousand times on operations and knew what it meant. He knew. Somehow he had found out and he knew she had left the gift for him. Her heart skipped a beat as she ran through the implications. Was he going to pull her aside afterwards and tell her how inappropriate it was? Was he going to tell her it was sweet but he didn't think of her than way? Would he sweep her off her feet or would he just not say anything at all, leaving her wondering? Her stomach was in knots and she immediately questioned her decision to give him a present, realising it could change everything and worrying that she wasn't ready for that or whether she truly wanted to change things. Maybe it had all been a giant mistake she was about to regret.

To her side, an oblivious Eric began to explain the new case. Nell took the few moments he was speaking to collect herself. As she interjected with her information her voice came out strong and confident. She wondered if she pretended enough, would think he was wrong and look elsewhere for his secret admirer?

As the briefing continued, Nell didn't need to look behind her to know Callen was staring. She could feel his eyes burning into her and that feeling scared her a little, mostly because she didn't know what it meant. As Eric ended the briefing, Callen stepped towards the table and started to assign tasks to the others. Nell tried to look anywhere but at him but she made the mistake of catching his eye. The way he looked at her was new. She was sure she had never seen him look at anyone the way he was looking at her. It was like he was staring right into her soul. Their contact was barely for a second but it left Nell breathless and her eyes darted down towards the papers on the table.

A second later when she had the courage to look back, he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Big thanks to everyone who has taken time to review my first story. Here is the final chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Zoe**

For the next two days the team were occupied only with the recently assigned case. Separately, Callen and Nell put all thoughts of recent developments aside, each knowing that the case required their full attention. Even when watching Callen on cameras undercover, Nell's mind never once strayed from its focus. One wrong move, one missing piece of information, and thousands could die. She was still a little bothered by the fact that what she did in the ops room could mean the difference between life or death to so many.

But as with every case before, the team used their expertise and skills to capture the suspects and "save the world" as Eric put it. It was late when the team had returned and even later when they left to go home. Eric had bounded out the office the moment Nell had offered close up the systems for the night. She heard Kensi and Deeks argue their way from the bullpen out the door and the distinct sound of Sam laughing at something Callen must have said as they left too. With the office in near darkness, she was sure she was the last one in. But as she shut down the last big screen she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and knew instantly he was watching her.

She took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves and turned to face him, unsure what was about to transpire but knowing it would be significant. Callen was leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded across his chest and one foot crossed over the other. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the man before her. Even in the dim lighting of the room, he looked so good Nell could just melt.

"Agent Callen." She planted a smile on her face. "I thought everyone had gone home?"

"Why do you like me?" his voice was quiet and he shook his head as he spoke, as if not believing the reality of what he was asking.

"I'm sorry?" she asked. Taken off guard by how direct he was, she didn't know what to say or do. Callen unfolded his arms and took a few steps into the room. His presence had a way of taking her breath away and Nell found herself getting a little light-headed.

"Why do you like me?" he asked again. The softness of his voice and the realisation that this was actually happening had Nell spinning. "You do know I'm about as screwed up as they come." He replied, trying to sound jovial and lighten the intensity of the moment.

"We're all screwed up Agent Callen." She replied. "Look at me." She had to be screwed up to think that a man like G Callen would ever be interested in a woman like her.

"I have been." His response made her eyes widen and she froze as he came to stand right in front of her. For once in his life Callen didn't feel like he was in control and he was both scared and exhilarated at the same time. Reaching out he let his hands come to a rest on her arms. He was barely touching her but he could see the impact his gesture had on her. This normally confident and feisty young woman was speechless and unless he was mistaken, a little scared like him. Callen had known he had to do something about their situation from the instant he realised he had feelings for her, but he wanted to be as gentle as possible, on them both. He had a lot of time working out what he had to do and how he should do it. Now he just had to follow through but that was proving a little more difficult than he had anticipated, mostly because now that he was facing the woman who had breached his defences, all rational thought seemed to be flooding out his head.

"When people work closely together." He began. "They have to be careful." Nell couldn't look at him. He was focused on her face but her eyes were on the floor. She knew where this was going and she wasn't sure she wanted, or needed, to hear the end of it. She wanted to interrupt him and tell him to forget about it, that it meant nothing, that he didn't have to be here talking to her, but she couldn't get a word out. Then she noticed his fingers gently stroking her arms. It was comforting, and so unlike him. She knew how he interacted with the others and this was not what he did. He wasn't a touchy feely kind of guy, unless it was required of an alias. Right now his words said one thing, his body language said another, and she was confused.

Nell sucked in a breath, drew from whatever courage she had, and looked up to meet his gaze. His dark blue eyes were focused on her and for a moment she felt like she was swimming in them.

"There are lines that can't be crossed Nell." He spoke softly and moved one hand from her arm to her shoulder. "Things would change and as much as two people can try, chances are one or both would end up getting hurt." His heart ached when he saw a glistening in her eyes. He didn't want to make her cry. He didn't think he even had that power. Maybe Nell was in a lot deeper than he realised.

"I get it." She finally responded, her eyes flitting back down to stare at a very uninteresting speck of dust on the floor.

"Nell, you are an amazing woman and any man would be lucky to be with you." Callen moved his hand from her shoulder and tilted her head up with one finger under her chin so she was looking at him again. "I don't want to hurt you Nell." He whispered.

"Callen, I understand." She forced herself to hold his gaze, sure he was about to crush her heart into a thousand pieces.

"No, you don't." he smiled a little. "In less than a week you have turned my world upside down and there is nothing I want more, but…" he broke off and glanced away for a moment, needing the time to be sure about what he was going to do next. It wasn't in his plan but sometimes even a good plan needs to be changed.

"Nell." He said her name softly before leaning down and capturing her lips with his.

Nell was stunned. So stunned she didn't move a muscle for a full three seconds as he kissed her. He was so gentle and his touch so electrifying it was intoxicating. When he pulled back slightly, she leaned forward and took the lead, her hands reaching out and finding his arms to steady herself as she kissed him back, afraid her shaking knees might just give out. His hand moved round from her cheek and cradled the back of her head as he leaned down and deepened the kiss, wrapping his other arm around her back to hold her tight against him. For what felt like an eternity the pair were lost in each other, experiencing lust, love and true bliss all at once. They fit together perfectly, like they were made for each other.

Callen had never felt this way when kissing any other woman, not even with the few women he had considered significant relationships. His whole body felt like it was on fire and he never wanted to stop. But deep down he knew he had to and to prolong it wasn't good for either of them. Letting the kiss last just a few seconds longer, he finally pulled back and disengaged himself from her, putting a good two feet of distance between them.

"Nell." He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"I know." She nodded. "You don't need to say it." She told him with a shaky voice.

The words hadn't been exchanged but they both knew that the kiss they shared was the beginning, middle and end of their relationship. When he left this room they would both pretend like nothing had happened and that they didn't feel the way they did. It was for the greater good, or so they told themselves.

Callen sighed heavily, feeling the full weight of what he was giving up, and he briefly thought that he would rather have been shot another five times than be here, doing this. He wasn't only breaking Nell's heart, he was breaking his own.

He leaned in towards Nell and placed one final gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"Good Night Nell Jones." Reaching behind him he pulled a single red rose from the back of his jeans. "Happy Valentine's Day." He handed it to her, worrying for a moment that it was too much, or too corny but as she took it from him, her eyes brightened a little.

Nell touched her fingers to her swollen lips and stared down at the rose in her hand with a smile on her face. It had lasted for less than five minutes but Nell was pretty sure it was the most perfect relationship she would ever have. By the time she looked up a few seconds later Callen was gone and she was once again alone.

"Goodnight Special Agent Callen."

**Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Don't hate me, please. **


End file.
